Gate-latch.



No. 893,439. PATBNTEDJULY 14, 1908. O. L. & A. B. CALKINS.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 24,1908.

31402 nfow UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OEL LEO OALKINS AND ANSIL BASIL GALKINS, OF INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA- GATE-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed January 24, 1908. Serial No. 412,517.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OEL LEO CALKINS and ANsIL BASIL CALKINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Inglewood, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to latches, and the object of the invention isto provide a latch for gates or other purposes of an extremely simple and durable construction whereby the use of springs, tumblers and the like are entirely disposed of.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch comprising a pair of arms having offsets adapted for engagement with rings positioned a distance from each other and adapted to retain a gate or door between them, and whereby the swinging of the door into closed position upon. the latch raises the ring first contacted with out of its path and is retained. by the opposite ring, the ring first contacted returning to normal position and engaging the opposite side of the gate.

To these and other ends the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a pers ective view of a latch constructed in accor ance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the latch.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 designates a substantially rectangular plate, constructed preferably of iron or analogous material having a series of perforations 2 adapted for the reception of screws or retaining elements whereby the latch is secured in position upon a post or door amb. The plate 1 is provided upon its upper corners with projecting arms or fingers 3, having suitable screw threaded perforations adapted for the reception of the securing elements 4, whereby the operating levers 5 are pivotally mounted upon the plate 1. The operating levers 5 comprise arms 6 having .a finger plate 7 secured upon their ends adjacent their point of pivotal connection with the plate 1, and. their opposite ends are provided with oifsets 8, at an approximately right angular relation to the arms 6 and adapted to overlie the top of the plate I and to be received into suitable recesses 9 provided upon the top of the plate. One of the arms 6 1s provided with a suitable recess or cutaway portion 10 adapted to receive the offset 8 of the opposite arm and to allow the arms to he in a direct horizontal plane.

It will be noted by referring to the several figures of the drawings that the offsets or fingers 8 of the operating arms 5 are positioned from each other at a suitable distance from the center of the plate 1 and the offsets or fingers are each adapted for the reception of suitable rings 11, which normally lie loosely upon the said offsets.

The operation of our improved latch is as follows: A gate or door swinging upon its pivot contacts one of the rings 11 and raises the ring out of its path and is contacted by the op osite ring. The ring first contacted paft ialy breaks the force of the swinging gate or door and the opposite ring effectively retards further movement of the gate or door and as the path of engagement with the ring first contacted is passed, the said ring drops to its normal position upon the offset 8, and the door is securely engaged between the two rings. When it is desired to open the gate, the finger plate 7 of one of the o crating arms 5 is pressed downwardly and t e arm working upon its pivot raises the ring attached to its offset out of the path of the gate or door and allows the gate or door to be swung open.

While we have described the preferred embodiment of our invention it will be understood that minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from or sacrificing any of the spirit of the inven tion, as for instance, one of the operating levers and ring might be effectively dispensed With when the device is applied to a gate or door swinging in one direction only, a stop or lug being substituted and acting effectively as a stop for preventing the gate swinging beyond the lug.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a latch, a plate having its upper edge provided with a pair of spaced laterally pro- In testimony whereof we afliX our signa- 1eeting studs and a pair of cut away portions tures in presence of two witnessesbetween the studs, levers having offset fin- OEL LEO CALKINS.

gers ivoted to the studs, depending rings 5 loose y positioned upon the fingers, and the ANSIL BASIL OALKINS' fingers of each of vthe levers adapted to en- Witnesses: gage Within the cut away portion of the plate My NATHAN SMITH, farthest from the stud to which it is pivoted. THOMAS SMITH. 

